Honors Thesis
ENGLISH 483, 484
HONORS THESIS IN LITERATURE
The Honors Thesis Program is for those who want to do and are capable of a certain kind of independent work. The honors student will be enrolled in EN483/EN484 in addition to his or her required courses in the English major.
The curriculum includes the opportunity for students to earn four-credits (via English 483, 484), write an honors thesis, and, if successful, graduate with honors. This is the only way to earn honors in the department. Latin Honors and Distinction in the Major are grade based. Students with a major average of at least 3.75 are eligible for consideration for Distinction in the Major.
Guidelines for Honors Projects in English Literature, 2025-2026
What is an English Honors Project? The English department offers qualified majors the opportunity to undertake an honors thesis during their senior year. This is a significant independent project in the realm of literary history and criticism that requires application, acceptance, and assessment. The final thesis is generally 50-70 pages of polished academic writing, reviewed and assessed by both the primary advisor and a secondary reader.
Why Do an Honors Thesis? This project offers a chance to craft a writing sample for graduate or professional school, a chance to gain experience with independent research, an opportunity to develop familiarity with long-form writing and revision and to do so within a network of your peers, and of course an opportunity to explore a topic of interest in detail with the support of a faculty member. Past students have found this experience intellectually stimulating and empowering!
Who is qualified?
- Students with at least a 3.5 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall may propose a project in the spring of their junior year.
- While all qualified English majors, including those with a Literature and the Environment or a Creative Writing concentration, may elect to undertake a lit honors thesis, students interested in pursuing an honors thesis in creative writing should follow the Creative Writing program’s guidelines.
Process Snapshot: If approved, students undertake preparatory reading and research during the summer, continue researching and writing in the fall while also enrolled in an honors proseminar, and complete their work in late spring of their senior year, culminating in a presentation of their project at CLAS.
Here is a synopsis of what the year will look like from a credit standpoint:
- In the fall of their senior year, honors students enroll in the two-credit Honors Proseminar (EN482), and in two credits of EN483. Note: EN482 is a CR/NC course.
- For JanPlan you can enroll in either thesis or non-thesis credit hours. Some students decide to complete their thesis during this semester.
- In the spring, students should enroll in two credits of EN484. While EN483 will have provisionally been graded CR (in the fall), a letter grade will be assigned for it and for EN484 after the successful completion of the thesis. Most students complete the thesis in the spring.
- If a student decides not to finish, EN483/EN484 revert to independent studies.
- Note: EN483/4 won’t show up with the regular curriculum listings. Look in the “Independent Studies and Honors” section.
Funding: Students whose thesis projects may take them to libraries and archives outside Colby are encouraged to apply for funding such as the John Barry Grant and fellowships from the Center for Arts and Humanities. You’ll need to apply during the semester before you intend to travel. For those wishing to travel the summer before their senior year, the deadline is in late April of their Junior year.
Honor Thesis Project Timeline
| Date | Tasks Due |
|---|---|
| Late March, Junior Year | If you would like to engage in summer research beyond Colby’s libraries, you are encouraged to apply for the Jon Barry Grant. The application deadline to fund work undertaken over the coming summer is in late March, before honors proposals are due (there are separate, later deadlines for work during the academic year). All students undertaking independent research are eligible to apply for these grants, whether or not they are working on an honors thesis. |
| April, Junior Year | You will get an email from the current honors coordinator (Megan Cook) letting you know you are eligible, with guidelines and instructions for applying. Make an appointment with your advisor to: 1. discuss the possibility of a thesis and begin developing a topic 2. Find a faculty member in the English Dept who will agree to supervise your work 3. check if you’re on track with major requirements, and 4. ask how the honors thesis will factor into the 128 credits required for graduation. |
| April, Junior Year Course Enrollment Period: April 22-25 | During the course registration period (April 22-25), enroll in: 1. the Honors Proseminar with Professor Megan Cook ([email protected]). Course number for this proseminar is: EN482 (a CR/NC course) 2. Two credits of the Honors Thesis EN483 with your thesis advisor (this is not an independent study). These credits will be provisionally graded CR. If you do not enroll in the proseminar or for thesis hours during April registration, do not worry! You may do so when Drop/Add opens late in the summer! If there are concerns about this timeline (for example, students need to demonstrate full-time enrollment in order to qualify for financial aid), please contact Professor Cook directly. Note: The honors thesis and the proseminar does not count toward the 11 courses required for the English major, or the 12 required for the CW concentration. |
| May 1 | Honors proposals are due by midnight. They should be emailed to the current honors coordinator at [email protected]. The proposal should include: 1. The name of the faculty member who will be advising the project 2. A 1-2 page, double-spaced description of the project 3. A 1 page research plan that describes the reading, drafting, off-campus research, and revision you will undertake: – over the summer (usually this is preparatory reading. If you have applied for and received Barry Grant funding for the summer, you should note this.) – Fall – Jan Plan (If you intend to enroll in a non-thesis Jan Plan course, this should be noted here), and – Spring semester |
| Mid-May | Student proposals evaluated by a committee of English department faculty. Faculty may respond to proposals as follows: – Accept without revisions. The student is free to undertake their project as proposed. – Conditionally accepted. The committee would like the students to reconsider one or more aspects of the project as proposed. At this stage, the student may be asked to revise and resubmit their proposal. – Rejected. The committee does not feel that this is a viable honors project. |
| Summer before Senior Year | Students undertake preparatory reading and research for their thesis. If you have not already done so, during Drop/Add period enroll in: – the Honors Proseminar with Professor Megan Cook ([email protected]). Course number for this proseminar is: EN482 (a CR/NC course) – Two credits of the Honors Thesis EN483 with your thesis advisor (this is not an independent study). These credits will be provisionally graded CR. |
| Early September | Students submit a 5-page (double spaced) report on their research to date both to their advisor and to the honors coordinator. This report is in essence a revised and expanded version of the proposal submitted in May. It should: 1. discuss preliminary reading or other work the student has undertaken over the summer 2. explain the student’s current understanding of the topic and scope of the project 3. provide an updated bibliography if necessary, and 4. lay out a plan of work during the academic year. |
| Fall Semester | Throughout the Fall of their senior year, students should: 1. begin researching and writing the thesis 2. take part in the weekly honors proseminar with Honors coordinator, Professor Megan Cook 3. meet regularly with their advisor. The frequency of meetings depends on the student and advisor, but should generally not be less than once per month. 4. Students may apply for research support through the Center for Arts and Humanities and the Jon Barry fund. |
| October: Jan Plan Enrollment | Students planning to complete their thesis during JanPlan should enroll in two credits of EN484j during registration |
| November: Spring Course Enrollment | Students planning to complete their thesis in the spring should enroll in two credits of EN484 during registration |
| Last week of Fall classes | During the last week of fall classes, students will present their work-in-progress to the department in a 10 minute oral presentation, followed by Q&A. (Note: By this point in the semester, students should have a second reader in mind and discuss that with their thesis advisor.) |
| Jan Plan | During JanPlan the honors coordinator will facilitate the exchange of work among students for peer review over email. Some students may elect to use this time to pursue off-campus research. |
| First week of Spring Semester | By the beginning of the spring semester, having consulted with their advisor, students should have secured a second reader, who: 1. may consult on the thesis during the writing-up period, and 2. along with the primary advisor, will read and assess the completed thesis in April. |
| Spring Semester | Throughout the spring semester, students 1. continue meeting with their advisor and 2. working on the thesis. The focus should be on crafting an argument and synthesizing research. Students are encouraged to share work with one another for peer review. |
| Late April / Early May | Honors students present their work during a session at CLAS |
| Last Wednesday of Spring Semester | The completed thesis should be submitted to both the primary advisor and secondary reader by this date. Successful theses (B+ level work or better) are awarded the honors designation. |
| Last day of exams | Students deposit the final version of their honors thesis with the department. The student is responsible for sending printed and digital copies of their work to: 1. the department administrative assistant (Jo Clift) 2. their honors advisor, and 3. their second reader. For formatting instructions, please see here. For any additional questions, contact the administrative assistant. |